Wind Down

Sidle up to the copper bar for some dessert wine and cheese at nearby Austrian tavern Edi & The Wolf(102 Ave. C, nr. 7th St.; 212-598-1040).

… Catch an art-house flick

Main Event

So this is where the young film nerds are hanging out now. Williamsburg’s one-screen Spectacle Theater (124 S. 3rd St., nr. Bedford Ave.) shows rare films, cult classics, bizarro sci-fi, and silent movies accompanied by live music—all for $5.

Wind Down

… Sample jazz and pork chops

Main Event

Come for the rib-sticking supper-club grub at The Astor Room(34-12 36th St., nr. 35th Ave., Astoria; 718-255-1947). Stay for the retro cocktails (named after the stars, like Rudolph Valentino, who used to drink here) and the live jazz piano.

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So what exactly does “best” mean in a city with thousands of pizza joints, hundreds of celebrity masseuses, and museum-worthy concept shops on every corner? Well, in the case of this, our annual “Best of New York” roundup, there’s a heavy emphasis on what’s new or what has somehow remained virtually unheard of (until now, of course).